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3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
This book was an interesting combination of Russian history and a Romeo and Juliet retelling. I am struggling to write a review for this book, just as I struggled to connect with these characters and storyline.
Overall, I felt that the story plot was good. The initial half(ish) of the book is told in dual timeline, and then switches to current timeline only. I usually do not enjoy dual timeline stories, so I was happy when this turned current only.
The one thing that remains with me more than anything is that one mafia boss has a bad nostril that seems to be constantly whistling!
Many other reviewers comment on the way that women are portrayed and described in this book. While I wasn't thrilled with how they were portrayed - there seemed to be a considerable focus on hyper sexualizing them - it didn't stop me from continuing on.
Big kudos go to the narrator, Ramiz Monsef, who did an exceptional job with the narration and especially the accents. Very well performed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced listener copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.
Overall, I felt that the story plot was good. The initial half(ish) of the book is told in dual timeline, and then switches to current timeline only. I usually do not enjoy dual timeline stories, so I was happy when this turned current only.
The one thing that remains with me more than anything is that one mafia boss has a bad nostril that seems to be constantly whistling!
Many other reviewers comment on the way that women are portrayed and described in this book. While I wasn't thrilled with how they were portrayed - there seemed to be a considerable focus on hyper sexualizing them - it didn't stop me from continuing on.
Big kudos go to the narrator, Ramiz Monsef, who did an exceptional job with the narration and especially the accents. Very well performed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced listener copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.
informative
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Is there a way out of the vicious circle of Russian violence?
In the early 1990’s as the Soviet Union suspended all Communist Party activity, people discovered ways to make some money. For some, it was starting small businesses, for others it was becoming part of an organization that made money in more indirect methods. Groups known as vory v zakone, “thieves in law”, carved out their own pursuits and territories, many by providing “protection” to the fledgling new businesses popping up.,,they called it providing a roof. But, as often happens, there were conflicts between these groups in determining who was in charge of “roofs” for which businesses. A period known as The Great Turf War saw fights, some of them quite bloody, erupt between the different vory. Against this backdrop, the son of one vor and the daughter of a rival vor meet, begin a relationship against the objections of their families and try to escape the futures that seem inevitable.
With a title taken from Mercutio’s line in Shakespeare”s “Romeo and Juliet” and characters named Roman Monsurov and Yulia Caplan who belong to warring clans, it doesn’t take a literary scholar to see that there is a twist on Romeo and Juliet going on here. I was attracted to the novel by its setting, a time period and place about which I realized I knew little….what happened inside the former Soviet Union during the years after Gorbachev left office. From that perspective, I found this novel did help me learn a bit about that time by showing the activities and actions of these two particular groups. The story itself, however, disappointed me. I had read the author’s brilliant “The Company” years ago, and looked forward to a similarly well-crafted work here. Instead, I found the hopping around from one time period and/or narrator to another in different chapters detracted from a cohesive story, and while some of the male characters were well developed I found those of the female characters less so. If the time period is of interest to you, than you may want to pick up a copy for that reason alone….just don’t expect this to be like some of the author’s previous works. I do thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me access to an early copy of A Plague on Both Your Houses.
In the early 1990’s as the Soviet Union suspended all Communist Party activity, people discovered ways to make some money. For some, it was starting small businesses, for others it was becoming part of an organization that made money in more indirect methods. Groups known as vory v zakone, “thieves in law”, carved out their own pursuits and territories, many by providing “protection” to the fledgling new businesses popping up.,,they called it providing a roof. But, as often happens, there were conflicts between these groups in determining who was in charge of “roofs” for which businesses. A period known as The Great Turf War saw fights, some of them quite bloody, erupt between the different vory. Against this backdrop, the son of one vor and the daughter of a rival vor meet, begin a relationship against the objections of their families and try to escape the futures that seem inevitable.
With a title taken from Mercutio’s line in Shakespeare”s “Romeo and Juliet” and characters named Roman Monsurov and Yulia Caplan who belong to warring clans, it doesn’t take a literary scholar to see that there is a twist on Romeo and Juliet going on here. I was attracted to the novel by its setting, a time period and place about which I realized I knew little….what happened inside the former Soviet Union during the years after Gorbachev left office. From that perspective, I found this novel did help me learn a bit about that time by showing the activities and actions of these two particular groups. The story itself, however, disappointed me. I had read the author’s brilliant “The Company” years ago, and looked forward to a similarly well-crafted work here. Instead, I found the hopping around from one time period and/or narrator to another in different chapters detracted from a cohesive story, and while some of the male characters were well developed I found those of the female characters less so. If the time period is of interest to you, than you may want to pick up a copy for that reason alone….just don’t expect this to be like some of the author’s previous works. I do thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me access to an early copy of A Plague on Both Your Houses.
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Plague on Both Your Houses is a mix of a Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet filled with Russian history. I really enjoyed the historical facts, though I did wonder how much of it I could rely on as truth, especially some of the more sensational stories that I was not able to verify with a simple internet search. The ending action scenes were my favorite part of the novel, though they were restricted to the very end.
I found the structure at the beginning to be a bit confusing, but the story becomes more linear throughout. My primary reason for the lower rating is due to the portrayal of women. There is a recurring question of whether various women are wearing bras. The first time, it was uncomfortable, but the second and then third times felt egregious. It speaks to a lack of awareness of audience. While this may be historically and/or culturally appropriate (though I question that deeply), it is extremely off-putting for modern audiences.
Overall, this is a best fit for those looking for a novel rich with Russian history and plenty of Shakespearen illusions, while also willing to overlook the flawed presentation of female characters.
A note on the audiobook: The narrator, Ramiz Monsef, did an excellent job of the various British and Russian accents. I enjoyed his narration very much.
Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this advanced copy to review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content